Vessel screw-propeller pumping apparatus.



J. T. PARKER. VESSEL SCREW PROPELLER PUMPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23, I915.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

IPII IPIP'III V'l all/I'll JOSEPH THOMPSON PARKER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

VESSEL SCREW-PROPELLER PUMPING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb; 22, 1916.

Application filed November 23, 1915. Serial No. 63,107.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOSEPH THoMPsoN PARKER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Washington,

the usual 'action ofthe propeller of a vessel to force water from the sea up into the vessel or to draw water from the vessel and discharge it into the sea adjacent the propeller, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing, the figure is a side elevation, partly in section, of a screw-propelled vessel showing my apparatus applied thereto.

In applying my invention to a screw-propelled vessel, I make a hole in the hull in such position with reference to the propeller blades that when the propeller is noving in one direction it will draw water out through this hole and when moving in the other dimotion will force water into the hole. The

lower end of an enlarged pipea extends through-this hole andis fastenedto the hull by any suitable water-tight devices, the lower'end of this tube being open to the sea and the upper end extending to a point above the normal loadline L. The lower end of this tube is preferably covered by a screen I) to keep out. foreign substances. Depending through a water and air-tight gland c at the upper end of. the tube a is the lower end of a pipe (1, the lower extremity of this pipeterminating at a point within the tube a and below the load line. The pipe at is extended up into the vessel and is connected. to a suitable number of branch pipes e, each of which will be provided with a valve f.

It will be observed that when the ship is moving forward, the propeller will exert a suction action at the mouth of thetube a and thus tend to draw water from the piped and its branches e and discharge it into the sea; The pipes e, it will be understood, may be connected to any body of water; for in stance, one of them may be in communication with the sea and connected up to the condenser or water jacket of the engine, or one of these pipes may be connected to the bilge water puinp so that the bilge water will be automatically discharged into the sea as the vessel moves forward. It will also be seen that one or more of the pipes 6 may be extended to a wrecked or injured vessel and used for pumping out the-same.

When the vessel is backing or when the propeller is rotated in a direction to back the vessel, it will be seen that water from the sea will be forced up into the piping system'and may be, by the branches e, carried to difierent parts of the vessel and utilized in various ways, as for extinguishing fires, washing decks, etc.. When the water is thus forced up into the pipe d, it will be seen that a cer tain amount of air will be trapped in the upper end of the tubular chamber a and will thus convert this upper end of the chamber a into an air chamber, which air chamber will tend to cause a steady flow of watervup through pi e d without regard to variation in the spec of the propeller.

In view of the fact that the lower end of the tube a is always below the load line, a leakage at the joint between this pipe and the vessel hull-would flood the vessel. In order to prevent a sudden leakage of this character being disastrous, I provlde a protecting jacket 9 which surrounds the pipe a and extends to a point above the hlghest possible load line. This tube 9 is imperforate and is attached to the inner face of the hull wall around the mouth of-the tube a. It will be seen that should a leakage occur at the joint between the tube a and the vessel hull, the water thus let in will rise in tube 9 to theload line and the leakage will then cease.

It will be"und erstood that one of my improved propeller pumps may be employed in connection with any one or all of the propellers carried by the vessel. It will be understood also that if further protection against flooding of the vessel is desirable I may build into the vessel vertical, watertight bulkheads or partitions y, 3 one at either side of the casing 9, so that, should casing g leak or become broken or deranged, no further harm can be done than to fiood the compartment between the bulkheads.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r

1. In an apparatus of the class set forth, the combination of a screw-propelled yess el, a tube extending through the hull having its lower end in communication with the sea at a point adjacent the propeller blades, a pipe depending into the upper end of this tube to a point below the normal load hne, means being provided at the upper end of the tube for closing the upper end of the tube around said pipe, and a branch pipe or pipes con- 7 neoted to the aforesaid pipe.

2. In combination with a screw-propelled vessel, a tube having its lower end opening into the sea through the hull at a point adjacent the propeller, a pi ing system connected to the upper end 0 sa1d'tube,-and a line, the lower end of said jacket being fastened to the interior of the hull of the vessel around the lower end of said tube, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOSEPH THOMPSON PARKER. 

